Russos vs Wizards
by writerchic16
Summary: When an old power targets the Russo kids, Alex, Justin and Max must search the Wizard World for their kidnapped parents. Jarper, minimal Alex/Mason
1. Chapter 1

**Russos vs. Wizards**

Summary: When an old power targets the Russo kids, Alex, Justin and Max must search the Wizard World for their kidnapped parents. Some Jarper, minimal Mason/Alex

A/N: My writer's block has been pretty bad lately, so I decided to start a new fanfic. More or less, this is my attempt at a movie-like WOWP story. And a chance to reuse some original concepts/ideas I've introuduced in other stories, mostly unfinished ones.

Oh, and for the record, I'm not a fan of Mason/Alex. But since Alex's love life actually _isn't_ important to the plot, I decided to leave him in for convience's sake.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Are you sure?" Justin asked. He was standing in the lair, chatting on the wizard video phone with Chancellor Tootietootie. Since tutoring the delinquents turned out to be slightly less challenging than he had planned, he'd decided it wouldn't hurt to start up monster hunting again.<p>

The chancellor shrugged. "Yup. Of course evil never rests, but right now it must be taking a power nap. Our own guys are barely keeping busy."

Justin frowned. He'd thought he'd be able to pick up at least a level with this. "Oh, that's disappointing." He paused. "Good for the world, I guess, but disappointing for me. Let me know if the situation changes."

"Will do." Then Tootietootie disconnected the call.

When Justin turned around, he nearly jumped at the sight of Harper, sitting on a desk in the back row. He hadn't even heard her walk in. "Hey, Harper...wait, how did he not see you?"

"I panicked when I walked in and saw you on the phone," she explained casually. "So I ducked and hid under a desk until you were done."

_That's Harper_, Justin thought, somewhat amused. _Always weird. Even without the creepy-obsessive crush on me._ However, he had to admit she looked slightly less weird that day, since she was wearing simple yoga pants and a t-shirt. Since she lived with his family, on rare occasions he got to see her when she was almost...normal.

Realizing that, technically, he was checking her out, Justin coughed and looked away before she noticed. "So, uh, what are you doing here?"

"I'm _bored_," she announced, frustration in her voice. "Spring Break is driving me crazy. Zeke's college isn't on the same schedule, so he has classes..."

"Um, Harper? As Zeke's best friend, I'm well aware..."

His reminder went ignored. "...and your sister is always out with Mr. Best-in-Show. I'd try designing a new dress but my creativity seems to be on vacation too."

"While I'm honored to be your fourth choice..." Justin began, unexpected bitterness in his words. For a second he wondered why the issue bothered him at all, but quickly decided he didn't want to know. "I'm not really up to anything either, just trying to find...extra credit, so to speak. Besides cleaning out unicorn stables."

Harper scoffed. "How exactly would that prepare you to win the wizard competition?"

"It wouldn't. It'd be punishment for screwing up, I think," Justin explained. Generally, extra credit for the wizard competition turned out to be the nastiest, most unpleasant jobs no other wizard would do, so the theory made sense to him.

Concerned, Harper assured him, "You didn't screw up, Justin. You were doing what you thought was right at the time. No one can blame you for that."

"_I_ can," Justin retorted, the issue still a sore subject. "How could I be so...so..._naive_?"

"Look, Justin, everyone has flaws. You can't be perfect _all_ the time," Harper replied. Though her attempts to cheer him up sounded a little generic, Justin could sense the honesty, the pure _belief_ in what she was saying. And _that_ was what managed to make him reconsider his self-loathing. At that moment, he also realized that this situation felt familiar, which made him think of when Harper had, for motivations still unclear to him, done her best to help him get over losing Juliet. He wasn't sure whether to find it charming or unnerving that his sister's best friend was the only one who knew how, or cared, to pull him out of an emotional funk.

Finally, he just gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks." She smiled back. In that instant their _moment_, or whatever it was, suddenly made them both nervous. "Uh, I'm gonna...go..." After she nodded in understanding, they left the lair, inexplicably eager to just _not_ be alone together.

* * *

><p>When she had her parents' attention, Alex proudly held up her most recent achievement. By some miracle, she'd gotten an <em>A<em>. On a regular, mortal school assignment. "Mr. Larritate said he wanted a copy to put in a frame," she bragged. Of course, she'd been acing her wizard homework and tests all year long, desperate to catch up in the competition. The combination of that desperation, heightened by her panic over college, was what pushed her to steadily improve her grades in every class. This had resulted in the best grade Alex had ever received on an English essay.

"Oh, _mija_, I'm so proud of you!" Theresa gushed as she ran over and wrapped her daughter in a suffocating hug. "Jerry, she might actually _go to college_!" Disappointing rejections from some art schools she'd wanted to attend made Alex apply to schools with late deadlines. Hopefully her rising senior year grades would get her into a state or city college, then she'd transfer to the school of her dreams. She had no specific goal in mind, but anywhere far away from home would be ideal, especially if she lost the competition and her parents couldn't make her magically flash home.

Her plans would change slightly if she won, but she couldn't count on that, since not only was Max in the lead, but surely Justin would eventually get back in the running. Then again, when had her stubborn determination ever let her down?

Tears in his eyes, Jerry also hugged Alex once Theresa reluctantly let go. "I can't believe it. My little girl, an overachiever!"

"Not really. I mean, I _did_ only get my essay back because I had Saturday detention. Again," Alex reminded them. Though she was enjoying her newfound success, she didn't want them to start _expecting_ more of her. She only liked achieving on her own terms.

"Still, we're celebrating," Jerry insisted. "Pancake breakfast tomorrow. You and me, kid."

"Thanks, Dad," she replied, her face red, not used to the praise. Then she turned to Mason and Max, who'd barely looked up from the lunch they were eating at the dining area table. "Well?" she asked, insistently holding up her essay towards them.

Max offered a weak shoulder movement that didn't even pass for a shrug. Naturally, he couldn't care less, but the feeling was mutual on that. Her question had been directed to her boyfriend, the love of her life...who hadn't even been listening, too wrapped up in his meal. "I'm sorry, what did you say, love?"

Annoyed, Alex nearly rolled her eyes, but held back. The way he called her "love" was just so adorable, she could never stay angry at him. However, she'd been reluctantly noticing that his werewolf mannerisms, such as losing himself in a meal, had been getting under her skin more and more. "The grade," Alex explained. "It's the best I've ever done on an essay."

"That's fantastic!" Mason exclaimed. He stood up, swung her around in a circle and planted a kiss on her cheek. And she wasn't agitated anymore, just enjoying the spontaneous affection. "You're amazing, love." He then chuckled. "As I think you Americans say, my girlfriend is now a _nerd_."

Alex laughed. "Am not," she retorted while she playfully messed up his hair. She glanced at her still-beaming parents. "Where are Harper and Justin? I want to tell them the news."

Shaking her head, Theresa explained, "In their rooms. I called to them for your family meeting, but Justin said he had some research to do, and Harper didn't respond. I'm not even sure she's home."

"I'll go check." Her essay in hand, Alex quickly went down to the basement first and threw open the stairwell door. Right as she was about to hit her head on the pipe, she paused at the sound of her friend's voice. Harper seemed to be in a heated argument with someone on the phone...and it soon became clear, the unfortunate soul on the receiving end of her wrath was Zeke.

_Huh?_ Alex thought, sitting down on a stair quietly so she could listen. _What could she possibly be fighting with Zeke about? They haven't been spending enough time together for something to have happened._

_Oh. Duh._

Upset for her friend, Alex tried to catch every word of the conversation...

"When am I going to see you, Zeke?...'sometime next week, maybe'? Are ya kidding me?...you've been in college for almost a year now! You should be used to the work...your school has a _clogging club_?...I don't care if you started it, you can miss a meeting once in a while...but finals aren't for another month, at least..." Finally, Harper snapped, "_Fine_! Give me a call when there's room for me in your _oh-so-busy 'college man' schedule_!"

The phone was slammed back on its base.

Though Alex wondered if she should back off and pretend she never heard the personal conversation, the sound of her best friend crying instantly made her rush down the stairs. "Harper?" she began softly. "Are you okay?"

"No," Harper snapped. She was sitting on her bed, knees pulled all the way up to her chest, her arms around them. "Don't pretend like you didn't just hear _everything_."

Glad that Harper wasn't going to deny the conversation, Alex took a seat on the bed next to her friend. "Yeah, I heard," Alex replied. She tucked the essay under her leg, out of Harper's sight, knowing her news would have to wait. "Are you going to break up with Zeke?"

"Well, shouldn't I? He _clearly_ doesn't care I'm his girlfriend anyway," Harper retorted.

Hopeless romanticism made Alex want to argue, to insist that _of course_ Zeke cared. But the devastation on Harper's face indicated that there had been more problems than this one fight. And...if Alex was being honest, she knew that _she_ would _never_ put up with a neglectful boyfriend. "Don't think about who's right and who's wrong for a second," Alex replied. "What really matters is..do you _want_ to break up with Zeke?"

Wiping a tear from her eye, Harper considered the question for a brief moment, then answered, "No. Zeke is a great guy." Her eyes watery, she turned to lean her head on Alex's shoulder. "I'm just sick of being ignored."

The quiet revelation made everything _much_ more complicated."Oh." Not sure what else to say, Alex put an arm around Harper's shoulders, and stayed with her best friend until the tears stopped.

* * *

><p>He'd been avoiding her since yesterday. That <em>moment<em> in the lair...had scared him, made him worry if the impossible could be happening. For so many years, Harper had been his sister's freaky best friend, but...but as cliché as it was, _suddenly_...

_No_, not _suddenly_. This wasn't happening, because she was his best friend's girlfriend now.

That established, Justin started blasting "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield on his laptop, and buried himself in notes for the next delinquent class.

Eventually, though, his mother called him downstairs for dinner. Since he'd been holed up in his room all day, he figured he should at least make an appearance, before she started bothering him with questions like "Are you all right, _mijo_?" and "Do you feel sick?" Besides, he figured he'd need to be around Harper at some point, so at least he'd be safe with his family around them.

A complete family dinner had become rare in the Russo household, so Justin was surprised to walk downstairs and see everyone there. More often than not, Alex was out with Mason, and Max was out...doing whatever he did. Most days, Justin himself would rather work on his lesson plan or call more contacts to see if they had work for him. But Theresa had whipped up some enchiladas, so they were all taking seats at the table as Justin walked down the stairs. He happened to notice that Mason wasn't there, suspicious since Alex usually invited her boyfriend to stay over for dinner if they weren't going out on their own.

"Wow, smells good, Mom," Justin remarked as he took a seat between his brother and his father. "You haven't made enchiladas since...Alex got her driver's license, I think." The burrito-like specialty of their Mexican heritage was one of his sister's favorite dinners.

Theresa smiled as she set the large casserole dish full of cheesy goodness in the middle of the table. "Alex, do you want to tell him?"

"I got an _A_, Not an A-, a full _A_," Alex bragged, pointing to her essay, proudly displayed on the fridge. "On my essay. We're celebrating."

While he could tell she wanted him to act all jealous, Justin actually was proud of her. Even though her increasing smarts made her more of a threat in the competition, he just couldn't be nothing but happy that his sister was finally taking responsibility for her grades. "That's great, Alex!" he replied, "What was it about?"

"Well, we had to write about something important to us," she explained, her mouth already full of tortilla and cheese. "So I wrote about Mason, and Harper, and you guys. Mr. Larritate _totally_ bought all of the mushy sentimental junk I put in there."

Surprised, Justin laughed. He would've expected Alex to write about something trivial, like tabloid magazines or the minimal selection of pudding in the school cafeteria. "Wow, I'm impressed," he remarked. "I'll have to read it later."

"You don't have to," Alex replied, but her flattered tone contradicted her words.

The family dinner turned out to be...nice. Of course, he and Harper didn't directly speak to each other, as he could tell she was uncomfortable too. But he chatted with his family, catching up, listening to Max ramble on about a video project he and his friends wanted to do over the summer. "My friends have a blog," he explained. "And they want me to help them make cool videos since I posted all those extreme stunts a couple years ago." Then... "I may need to buy a new helmet."

When the meal was over, Justin ran back upstairs. He really did have a lot of notes to prepare for the next day's class.

* * *

><p>Soon after dinner was over and the table cleared, Jerry and Theresa settled down on the couch to watch a baseball game. Since the kids went off to do...whatever they did...the loft was always quiet at night, and Jerry enjoyed the alone time with his two loves, his wife and the Mets.<p>

But his mind wasn't focused on the game that night. He barely paid attention to who was up to bat, and his shouts of, "Are you blind? That ball was out!" only half-hearted. He'd heard some...grumblings, in the wizard world, and grumblings were _never_ good.

When he'd been quiet for a while, Theresa glanced over at him, looking up from the romance novel she was reading while reclined on the other end of the couch. "Honey? You haven't shouted at the TV in an hour. What's wrong?"

"I don't know..." he answered honestly. "And that's the problem."

Her curiosity piqued, she closed the book, folding down the corner of the page she was on. "Jerry?"

"Wizards have been...talking," he explained. Her expression instantly twisted into one of distaste, brow wrinkled, annoyance already in her eyes. "I know, you hate Wizard Council business," he assured her. "But...but it might be important. None of my sources are talking to _me_, and _me_ only. _Crumbs_ won't even say a word. It's...unsettling, to say the least."

The implication quickly dawning on her, she sat up and took his hand in hers. "What could this mean?"

"I don't know," he repeated, careful to keep his alarm to himself. "It's never happened before. But...but maybe I'm overreacting."

Doubtful, Theresa sighed. "Maybe."

Since he'd never be able to concentrate on the game, he decided to put his nervous energy to good use, and stood up from the couch. "I'm going downstairs. Clean up the lair a little bit. I've been meaning to sort through some old stuff for a while."

Theresa hesitated, then stood up as well. "I'll go with you."

For a moment, Jerry wanted to point out how much she hated the lair, how he wanted to be alone...but now, he could see his anxiety on her face as well. "Okay." She shouldn't be left alone anyway; he probably shouldn't be either.

They made their way downstairs, grabbed some empty boxes out of the freezer, and went into the lair to start cleaning. Before long, the tension fades just enough for them to talk lightly again, about Alex's incredible grades, Max's new project, Justin's choice to put off college for the competition. As the boxes became full, Jerry was reminded of when they'd first moved into the loft, spending all night just like this, alone and chatting about everything as they unpacked or painted rooms until early morning.

Hours after midnight, the portal door violently swung open, a gust of cold air...and then, nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I don't usually do these, but here's a couple of review responses.

Mell: Thanks, I always love your reviews! 3 And yeah, I was attempting to reference the episode, but I couldn't remember if they were unicorn or centaur stables, so I took a shot. I figured if I got it wrong, they technically _could_ be unicorn stables!

raksha2010: Thank you so much! And I'm sorry about _Balance of Things;_ abandoning stories is a bad habit of mine. I'd like to finish that story too, so hopefully inspiration strikes!

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Sleepy after a night of tossing and turning, Justin went downstairs the next morning, still yawning and hoping there was still some breakfast left. His father had mentioned something about going out for pancakes with Alex, but surely his mother would still have made something for everyone else. A nice, hot mug of tea and maybe some eggs with toast on the side should help him start the day easier.

He froze in surprise when the loft was empty. "Mom?" he called, glancing out onto the terrace. Sometimes she liked to enjoy her coffee and read a book out there before the rest of the household woke up. "Mom?" There wasn't a note either, which she would have definitely left if she'd decided to go out shopping early.

Logic told him that there could be a dozen reasons why his mother wasn't there. But for some reason, he felt his heart speed up, a sick feeling in his stomach.

When Harper walked downstairs, still in her pajamas, panic on her face, he knew his instincts had been right. "Harper? What are..."

"Your mom isn't here. Alex is still sleeping; your dad never woke her up to go out for breakfast," Harper explained, about to cry. "And their bed hasn't been slept in."

Though he'd expected that, he still became even more frightened, partially thanks to the possibilities of what might have happened to his parents going through his head. "Go wake up Alex and Max, let them know what's going on," Justin told her, and she nodded. "I'll check downstairs."

Minutes later he'd seen that both the Sub Station and its kitchen were also empty, so out of desperation, he glanced at the freezer. Maybe they somehow got locked in while doing inventory? He doubted it, but still, he threw open the freezer door. Nothing unusual in there, except for a few missing boxes. Since he was already checking unlikely places, he turned the freezer into the lair, and went inside.

"What the...?" he whispered, surprised by all the boxes filled with magical items. It seemed his father, and for some reason his mother as well, had been sorting through old junk.

Instantly he remembered that the lair had a security camera, which he could check on the big screen. At first, he considered going to get his siblings and Harper to watch with him, but then decided against it. If there was anything upsetting in the video, he wanted to spare them the heartache. _He_ didn't know if he'd be able to handle what was on the video.

Before he chickened out, he took out his wand and turned on the security video, rewinding until sure enough, he saw his parents cleaning at about three in the morning. They seemed solemn, worried, anxiously keeping busy. _Weird_, he thought. _Maybe there was an emergency in the Wizard World, and Dad was looking for something he needed before leaving for a meeting...but then where's Mom..._

His heart skipped a beat when, a minute later, they...disappeared.

In disbelief, he rewound it, going back and forth about ten times. There were no sparkles of magic to indicate any transportation spell. They were there, then the very next shot, they were _gone. _Realizing he'd been zeroing in on his parents, he rewound the footage yet again. Much to his horror, he gasped when he saw the portal door forced open, then his parents' shocked, scared expressions.

The tape confirmed his paranoid suspicions. For whatever reason, _someone had kidnapped his parents_.

_But why? Just..._why_?_

Remembering that the others needed to know, he ran back upstairs to find his siblings and Harper sitting at the dining area table, waiting for him. "Justin, what's going on?" Alex demanded. "Harper told us that Mom and Dad are missing, but come on...they probably just went shopping or something and didn't leave a note..."

"They were kidnapped," Justin interrupted bluntly.

"How do you know?" Alex spat. "They weren't _kidnapped_, stop being so dramatic."

Justin sighed. Though her accusation was annoying, he couldn't blame her, when he didn't want to believe this himself. "They _were_," he insisted. "I checked the lair security camera. Go downstairs and watch for yourself if you don't believe me."

The other two were satisfied, but of course Alex glared at him and defiantly retorted, "Fine."

So, five minutes later they were all gathered in the lair, watching the video several times, like Justin had done before. Each time he rewound the tape, he could see his sister grow more unsure, more concerned. Finally she looked away. "Okay, stop it, I believe you." Her voice was emotional as she tried to hold back tears.

While also troubled, Max was more confused by the situation. "I don't get it," he remarked, still staring at the paused video. "Mom and Dad are...Mom and Dad. Why would anyone kidnap _them_?"

"Yeah, I mean, your dad's not a wizard anymore," Harper agreed, strangely enough just as bewildered.

Taking his father's wizard past into consideration was new to Justin, who thought about it. Jerry could easily still have enemies looking for revenge. "Yeah..." Justin began. "But he _was_ a wizard. Look at everything _we've_ gone up against, maybe a wizard he somehow defeated years ago is holding a grudge? Well, not just a wizard, could be any magical creature..."

Max shrugged. "Okay. But why take Mom too? She's said _many_ times that she wants nothing to do with the Wizard World."

Again, Max's uncharacteristic sensible reasoning made everyone else quiet, each trying to think of a response. The best one Justin could think of was maybe Theresa had been taken just because she'd been in the room at the time, but then again, the kidnapper could've easily attacked when Jerry was alone. And true, while his parents kept quite a few secrets from the kids, Justin couldn't imagine that his _mother_ had any business with the magical world, other than her connection to his father.

"Then it has to be a trap for us," Alex said. Her abrupt suggestion was quiet, but certain. "Like Justin said, we've made some enemies. Evilini, Longcape..."

Justin's eyes widened. "Gorog." Terrified at the thought of his parents held captive by the most powerful angel of darkness, he began pacing. "We have to report this to the wizard authorities. They'll be able to find Mom and Dad."

"So what, we just stay here and wait? Not happening. We'll find them quicker ourselves," Alex insisted.

Everyone else gave her incredulous, annoyed glares. "Alex, think about this," Harper replied. "Why put yourself in that danger when _professionals_ can do it?"

"Yeah, for once, we actually _can_ contact the authorities and let them handle a life-threatening situation," Justin reminded her.

Disappointed, Max remarked, "So no adventure? Aw, man, I missed out on the whole 'save the world from the angels of darkness' battle, too. Thanks for _that_."

"Well, you were a little girl. You had your own problems," Alex reminded him. Reluctantly, she snapped her fingers, magically transforming her pajamas into an outfit suitable for reporting a kidnapping. She glanced at her brothers. "You two ready?"

"Yeah. We'll go to Professor Crumbs first. He'll be more likely to make this a top priority," Justin said as he and Max magically changed their sleepwear into regular outfits as well. "Let's go." Saying good-bye to Harper, the siblings flashed out of the lair.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Alex and her brothers were sitting outside Professor Crumbs' office, forced to wait there after his secretary informed them that he was busy with <em>important business<em> at the moment. Already restless, she kept squirming on the wooden chair, though it was comfortable thanks to the overstuffed cushion on its seat. She tried browsing through the copy of _Future Wizards_ on a nearby end table, but even a magazine couldn't distract her. In fact it made her mind wander, which didn't help her nerves since she kept thinking of where her parents could possibly be, if they'd been taken to the Wizard World. And she knew there were some pretty dangerous places there.

Since she really wasn't even looking at it anyway, Alex tossed the magazine back on the table, and glanced at her brothers. As usual, Max had a blank look on his face, but it was different...like he was in shock, trying to process what was happening. And her older brother was pacing, grumbling to himself about _emergencies_, how _inconsiderate_ the old professor was being, and _the nerve_ of him when their family helped out the wizard community _so many_ times.

His behavior surprised to Alex, because she tended to agree with his barely coherent ramblings. The teens told the secretary right away that they needed to see Professor Crumbs _immediately_, and that they were sure their parents had been kidnapped, most likely by one of their enemies. But so far the situation was being treated as if they just needed to chat about their Wiztech grades.

"Why is he doing this to us?" Alex blurted angrily, getting her brothers' attention. "Does he even care? I know we failed his stupid test but..."

Justin sighed. "I don't understand either, Alex."

His confession made Alex silent again. She'd never heard him say that before.

When another half hour passed by, antsy Max jumped out of his seat, went over to Crumbs' office door, and knocked. At his siblings' glares, he shrugged. "What? It could work." When there was no response to his knock, Max shouted, "Hey, Professor Crumbs! Did you forget about us?"

No answer. Also fed up with waiting, Alex also went over to the door. "You can't ignore us! Either tell us what's going on, or we're not leaving!"

Joining in, Justin threw in a "Yeah!" that didn't sound as threatening as he'd probably hoped.

When they stopped knocking, Crumbs finally opened the door, trepidation on his face, knowing they were right but not wanting to talk. He also seemed very tired. "I'm so sorry, but I can't help you."

"_What_?" Alex shrieked, her temper flaring. "You're one of the most powerful, influential wizards alive today. I _know_ you _can_ help us!"

Embarrassed, Justin explained, "What she means, sir, is... we're confused. Are you really still mad at us for failing your test?"

"Of course not, Justin," Professor Crumbs assured him. He slowly glanced at each one of them, clearly having some sort of internal debate, until he opened the door wider and stepped aside. "All right, please come in."

The Russos quickly went into the office and took seats, while Crumbs sat at his desk. "What's going on?" Alex demanded. "What happened to Mom and Dad? Why are you acting like this?"

"This is a very complex situation. I'm not allowed to be involved," Professor Crumbs began, making them all stare in surprise.

Annoyed, Justin asked, "What's so complex about it? Somebody kidnapped our parents. Even _we_ came up with a bunch of suspects, so the investigation can't be that difficult." At the professor's curious glance, Justin added, "Evilini, Longcape, Gorog..."

"Gorog? Oh, no, it wouldn't be him," Professor Crumbs interrupted, shaking his head. "There are certain...lines, he cannot cross. Capturing an ex-wizard, rather than converting to evil through free will, would cause an inter-species incident, maybe start a war. And he does not want that brought upon him."

Alex was definitely relieved to hear this. The other suspects on their list were jokes compared to the angel of darkness. "Then who did this?" she insisted. "_And why can't you help_?"

Professor Crumbs let out a long sigh while he, oddly enough, took a moment to figure out how to answer. "The answers to both your questions, Miss Russo, are essentially the same." He turned to Justin. "You've taken a course here called 'Advanced Adversaries,' as part of your Monster Hunting training?" When Justin nodded, he continued, "Then you have heard of Judgment, yes?"

Her brother definitely had. A sick feeling formed in Alex's stomach when Justin's face paled, his eyes widened, and he looked as if he might collapse while still sitting in his chair. "No," he whispered, his voice shaking. "That doesn't make sense! Why - "

"And that is all I'm allowed to tell you." As the others protested, Professor Crumbs got out of his chair and walked over to the door, opening it, telling them to leave. "Again, I am so sorry." While the furious siblings stomped out of the office, then glanced back at him, he sighed. "I sincerely wish you the very best of luck."

He went back into his office, closing the door behind him. Alex and Max stared in disbelief, ready to bang on the door again, demand more information. Instead, they glared at their brother. "Did I miss something?" Max asked angrily. "I'm used to stuff not making sense, but I'm pretty sure Alex and I deserve an explanation."

"I know," Justin replied. "But we should go home first." Though his siblings weren't happy about it, they all flashed out of the office.

* * *

><p>They arrived back in the lair to find that Harper wasn't there anymore, presumably upstairs having breakfast or otherwise getting ready for the day. Justin was grateful for this. Dealing with his siblings' reactions would be unpleasant on its own, so he didn't need her there asking questions in addition. And...honestly, he was still nervous around her, still trying to figure out what was going on between them, if anything. There had been definite tension earlier, when they'd first discovered that his parents were missing.<p>

Before his siblings could start asking questions, he indicated the front row of desks. While they took seats, he browsed a bookshelf, found the book he wanted, and went over to the teacher's desk. "I know...I know my reaction to what Professor Crumbs said, probably scared you. Good."

"Justin? _What's going on_?" Alex pleaded, overwhelmed, tears threatening. "_Tell us_."

As he looked up an entry his book for reference, in case he needed to refresh his memory, Justin began the same tale he'd heard in class. "Okay, 'Judgment' is actually an ancient, mystical force that has been around since Merlin. Many believe he had something to do with its creation."

"'Ancient, mystical force'? _Really_?" Alex scoffed.

Justin rolled his eyes. "Yes, _really_. The name 'Judgment' is fairly recent, since the title tends to change every century or so. What it does is...well, _challenge_ wizards, who have already demonstrated strength and courage. Power and responsibility go hand in hand, so Judgment's goal is to make wizards...prove their worth. Show they have what it takes to become influential leaders."

His siblings didn't reply right away, taking in the new information. "So, wait...this force thing...it chose _us_?" Max asked. He was still frightened, but also excited, flattered. "I mean, it doesn't pick someone new every day, does it?"

And that was exactly what had been bothering Justin. Throughout history, those selected had gone on to become incredible wizards, whose major accomplishments had shaped modern magical society. While he was still very nervous about the immediate trial ahead of them, he was slowly realizing that his future would be more amazing than he'd expected. Based on Alex's thoughtful expression, he knew that she was realizing this too. "Once every generation," Justin answered quietly. "Sometimes not even. The last Judgment was a few decades ago."

"Wait, when you say 'Judgment'...what happens if we can't find Mom and Dad?" Alex asked. "Is this like a contest, where we get a prize if we win, and if we don't..."

Wishing he knew that answer himself, Justin shrugged. "No clue. We don't know much about Judgment itself. Those who have gone through it, usually don't talk about what they went through, or if they 'lost.' Most of the wizard population actually believes it's just a myth."

All were silent again, not sure what to say or what their reactions were supposed to be. "So...that's why Professor Crumbs can't help us," Max said. "We're supposed to do whatever we have to do ourselves?"

Justin nodded. "Yes. Even though _most_ wizards don't believe in it, the Council has always known, and used it to their advantage. I mean, no surprise, they're big supporters of wizards earning their powers. So they put in a rule that competitors can't get help from authorities. Even if the wizard _really_ needs their help."

"But, like, where do we start?" Alex asked. "There's no starting line and a map. How are we supposed to find Mom and Dad when they could be, literally, _anywhere_?"

Of course, Justin had thought of that too, and the task did seem nearly impossible. But if Judgment had challenged them with it, this had to be possible, as long as they pushed themselves to their limits. "We'll start with typical location spells, and go from there." He paused when his stomach grumbled. "Let's talk about it over breakfast."

* * *

><p>She'd been in the lair. At least, she was pretty sure. As Theresa slowly regained consciousness, and took in her new surroundings, she was having a hard time remembering how she'd gotten there. Or rather, how she'd been taken there. Her last memories were of sitting next to her husband in the lair, going through junk because neither could sleep.<p>

What_ happened?_ How did she get..._here_?

The gorgeous, vibrant battle ground seemed familiar. From her view on top of an old fort, to her left she could see a stone table and columns on a grassy field, next to a sparkling ocean. Gasping, she recognized it as the place where Alex and Justin had competed after the incident in Puerto Rico. While at first her memories had been wiped when time was reversed, she'd been gaining them back ever since her children, out of guilt, told them what happened.

When she tried to stand up, look around, hopefully find her husband, she realized that she couldn't. She was under some kind of binding spell, as it felt like metal chains were around her arms and legs, though she couldn't see any. At the moment, she was sitting upright on the fort's flat, barren roof, her hands tied behind her back, so trying to stand up didn't seem likely.

Panic setting in, she yelled, "_Jerry_?"

"Behind you, Theresa."

"Oh, thank goodness!" She managed to move around in a small circle, so that she was facing the opposite direction. Her husband, also magically chained, sat only a few feet away from her, turning around to face her as well. "Jerry, _what's going on_? What is this?"

Though she'd expected it, she was still disappointed when he helplessly shook his head and, as much as he could with the chains, shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea," he answered sadly.

She knew they had more serious issues at hand. Like figuring out who did this to them, and why. But those could wait. "We better start getting out of these chains," she remarked, already struggling against hers. "Because going to the bathroom like this will _not_ be easy."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews, so glad everyone's enjoying this!

Oh, and Mell, I'd implied that Harper had gone upstairs to look for missing Jerry and Theresa. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Anyway, this chapter is more of a transition. The real adventure will start next chapter (I think, at least). Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

After learning about their situation, the three went up to the loft, starving thanks to their nervous energy and empty stomachs. Of course, Alex could definitely use a bowl of cereal, but for once food was an afterthought, a necessity. What Justin told her had not eased her mind at all. Sure, they were part of some cosmic test, but her parents could still be in real danger. If Judgment was just a _force_, then it might be an evil one, even if the Council used it for their own purposes. What if it was putting her parents through hell, just like it would supposedly do to her and her brothers in the near future? What if it was too late to save them, even before the search began?

No. Since he learned about it in school, Justin would know if Judgment was evil. And he would tell them. Wouldn't he?

Well, she doubted that Judgment would not only be allowed to continue, but _respected _among wizards, if it was needlessly cruel. At least, she _hoped_ the Council wouldn't tolerate something like that. Even though she didn't trust the Council, she trusted Justin, and she could hear the admiration in his voice, see that he was secretly honored to be chosen. And Justin had mentioned that Merlin was thought to have created Judgment. Naturally, Alex hadn't been paying attention when her father taught about Merlin in class, but she knew that the historical figure had been _good_. While she still worried about her parents, she had faith that they were at least surviving...whatever they were going through.

When she entered the loft with her brothers, Alex saw Harper in the kitchen, finishing off a plate of scrambled eggs. She'd also dressed for the day, but again gone casual with jogging pants and a t-shirt. "Did you save some for us?" Alex asked eagerly, glancing in the frying pan on the stove. The _empty_ frying pan.

Annoyed, Harper began in a mocking tone, "Hi Harper, you'll never believe what happened, there's so much to tell...you..." She trailed off when she noticed the anxious, upset looks on her friends' faces. Embarrassed by her reaction, she pointed to the last bite of eggs on her plate. "Scrambled or fried?"

The siblings gave their orders, and while Harper cooked, they filled her in. By the end of their explanation, Harper was sliding the last order of scrambled eggs onto Max's plate. "Thanks, Harper," Max said as he took a bite. "They're good. But how come the edges aren't brown?"

"I didn't burn them," Harper said with a smirk.

"_Oh_," Alex realized, laughing. "Mom always said that was how they were supposed to look." She abruptly stopped laughing, and the others became solemn, at her mention of a Russo parent. Determined, she shook her head. "No, stop that. They're not gone for _good_. We're _going_ to get them back. It's not like we haven't almost lost them before." Alex paused, remembering that _she'd_ been the cause of that. "Then again, it's not good to dwell on the past," she quickly added.

As he began eating, Justin said, "Alex is right. We're _going_ to find Mom and Dad. There are plenty of location spells to try, and I have contacts I can call for more information about Judgment. They probably won't help me because of Council rules, but I can ask."

"But isn't there supposed to be a test?" Max asked. "Because I haven't had any classes since I got the lead in the competition. I don't even remember the last spell I learned. Or the one before that. Or the one before..."

"Oh-_kay_," Alex snapped, rolling her eyes. "It's not an actual _test_, Max. Justin meant that finding Mom and Dad will test _us_, like, a challenge. A puzzle we have to figure out."

Max frowned. "I'm not good at puzzles either."

"Shocker," Harper and Alex chorused, equally amused.

Ignoring them, Justin brought his plate over to the sink, even though he hadn't finished the whole meal. Alex didn't bring it up, since he was probably too nervous to eat much. Even she'd only eaten enough to satisfy her hunger, a good half of her meal going cold as she pushed it around with her fork. "All right, this is what we're going to do," Justin said. "I'll go down to lair and call everyone I can think of who might help us. Alex, you and Max start doing some basic locator spells. Look them up on the wizard computer if you need to."

"Sounds like a plan," Alex easily agreed, putting her plate in the sink as well. She saw Justin give her an incredulous look for a brief second before going down the stairs. True, any other time, she would've protested the amount of work, _and_ taking orders from her older brother. But since their parents were most likely in danger, Alex didn't even think of it.

* * *

><p>"No, wait, Dylan, don't hang up! If you'll just talk to me for a <em>minute<em>..."

The call was disconnected.

Justin slowly replaced the phone back on its base. Then, with a frustrated groan, he picked up the receiver and slammed it down again. He'd been calling monster hunters, friends from Wiztech, even phone numbers he'd gotten out of his dad's address book. Everyone was perfectly willing to help at first, but once he mentioned Judgment, they all wanted nothing to do with him. They were all too afraid of Council punishment, or worse, Judgment itself intervening to cut the Russos off from any sources of aid. From what Justin had read, the mystical force, in the past, had injured or otherwise inconvenienced anyone who tried to assist a chosen wizard.

He could only hope his siblings were having better luck than him. But since neither had run into the lair screaming that they'd found their parents, he didn't think so. On that note, he had to start planning their next move. While his siblings were, well, mostly competent wizards, he supposed _he_ could try whatever spells they'd cast, then work on some more advanced location spells.

Sick of making phone calls, he began browsing the bookcase when Zeke walked into the lair, also distressed. Justin could tell because Zeke hadn't even stopped to look around at all the magical items, as he tended to do ever since he'd been told of the lair's existence.

"Justin! I need some advice, man," Zeke began. He let out a depressed sigh as he took a seat at the desk closest to his best friend. "Harper's mad at me and I have _no_ idea why."

Instantly, Justin wished he had another hour's worth of contacts to call, if just to avoid this conversation. So far his new predicament had kept him from thinking about his...not-quite-a-crush on his best friend's girlfriend. He didn't even know if he actually wanted to _date_ Harper, or if he just wanted to strengthen their friendship. Then again...who else could Zeke go to with this personal subject, other than his best friend? That in mind, Justin decided to man up and get through the discussion as quickly as possible. "Okay, Zeke, what'd you do?"

Zeke gave him a bewildered stare. "I just said I don't know..."

"So figure it out," Justin said harshly. "You wanted advice? Here it is. The guy is _always_ wrong. The trick is figuring out _why_ you're wrong, and apologizing accordingly."

Though doubtful, Zeke took Justin's suggestion. "Well then...uh...see, we had a fight a couple days ago...Harper was _really_ mad I didn't have time to see her this week..."

"There it is. She feels like you're neglecting her," Justin pointed out, relieved the problem had been easy to solve. "Spend some time with her."

"But that's it. I _can't_. I've got homework and tests and - "

Justin rolled his eyes. "Dude, do you want a girlfriend or not?" When Zeke nodded, Justin said, "Then you have to _make_ time for her. Even if it means staying up all night to finish homework after a date. Trust me, I did that a _lot_ with Juliet."

"Right, the whole vampire thing," Zeke remembered. Justin had pretty much told him about all of the Russos' adventures. "_Tons_ of late-night dates, I bet."

_Yeah, but she was worth it,_ Justin thought, for a moment longing for his ex-girlfriend, hating himself again for not being able to save her. The pain was less than it had been in the past, but it would always be there. "Yeah. Look, Zeke, my family probably won't be here for...a couple days, at least. You know where the extra key to the Sub Station is. Why don't you make a special date night with Harper?"

"That's a great idea! Thanks, Justin!" Zeke exclaimed. Then he paused, taking in what Justin had said. "Wait, why won't you be here?"

"I'm glad you asked." Grateful for the change of subject, Justin launched into a description of what had happened just that morning...and wished Zeke knew how difficult it had been to share his great idea.

* * *

><p>Jerry hated that he had yet to think of a logical explanation for his current predicament. None of this was making sense. Honestly, he could understand why a wizard might capture <em>him<em>. Before he lost his powers, he'd made plenty of enemies who would _definitely_ want revenge, even so many years later. Off the top of his head, he could think of several wizards who still had their magic and would be capable of such a powerful kidnap spell.

But he just could not think of anyone who would dare to kidnap his wife as well. There was a strict Wizard World code about that, actually. Wizards were allowed to get revenge on each other to an extent, but spouses and children where protected by strict Council laws. Whoever did this was taking a major risk. Maybe he was flattering himself with this thought, but he could think of several enemies who'd be desperate enough to break those rules.

Yeah, he caused a good amount of havoc before he met Theresa. He knew the Council was _very_ relieved when he gave up his powers, despite his promising talent as a wizard

However, it wasn't like the kidnapper never had the opportunity to grab him while he was alone. At least a couple times a week, Jerry indulged his nostalgia and went into the lair just to go through items or spell books. He really missed the days when he taught the kids in there twice a week. Teaching had been a way to connect him to his past. But his children weren't kids anymore. They were learning plenty on their own...

_Learning. And making their own enemies._

"No," he whispered, suddenly realizing that he and his wife might not be the only ones in danger. Or that they should be more worried about their kids than themselves. Council laws were tricky. There were rules against harming family members for revenge. But there was no direct rule against tying them up and using them as bait.

Concern for his kids' safety overwhelming him, Jerry nudged his wife's arm with his shoulder. After struggling against her chains, they'd only tightened and gotten stronger, causing her to fight until she'd passed out again. He'd tried to tell her about the inviso-chain spell, but she'd refused to listen, stubbornly thinking she could somehow free herself. So then he'd slid along the floor over to her side, leaning against her while she slept. "Theresa, honey?" he called. "Wake up. We've got a problem."

"Ya think?" she grumbled as she reluctantly opened her eyes and sat upright. "These stupid chains are pinching my arms. I'll have black and blues for a month!"

Jerry shook his head. "No, Theresa. The kids. I've been doing some thinking and I'm pretty sure they're in serious danger."

"_What_?"

While Theresa stared at him in horror, he told her his reasoning based on Council laws. Speechless, she could only close her eyes as she let out a deep, steadying breath. Still, when she opened her eyes again, there were tears. "My babies..." she whispered.

"I know," he said. "We have to help them."

Theresa gave him a doubtful glance. "How, Jerry? We're tied up in a place where no one would think to look for us. Whoever did this will probably make sure we can't escape."

She had a point. Annoyed, Jerry retorted, "You don't know that." At her raised eyebrow, he sighed. "Okay, you might be right. But we have to at least _try_. Now would be a good time, since our kidnapper hasn't introduced himself yet. We might not be alone for long."

"Well, then what's _your_ plan, since you're so full of optimism?" Theresa remarked sarcastically. "Even if we somehow get out of these chains, I don't think there's a door to the mortal world we could use."

Jerry glared at her, but instead of retorting, looked around again, then just stared out at the beautiful ocean. This ancient battle ground had to have _some_ natural magic they could channel. He'd been taught about survival magic during his training, how even without powers, mortals could use whatever resources they had to...to...

_That's it._

Smiling, Jerry turned to his curious wife. "I don't know how to get back home," he admitted. "But I _do_ know how we can get out of these chains."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews, everyone!

Mell: Yeah, I _am_ trying to change up my usual writing style. Story flow has always been an issue with me, so I'm trying to slow down the pace by adding in more thoughts and description. And of course, thank you so much for your other nice compliments. :)

ThePenIsMighty: Thanks for your review! Harper is not going along with the Russos, but I will be switching between them and what's going on back home.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Much to Alex's frustration, after _hours_ of spell-casting and searching the Wiz Web, they'd made absolutely _no_ progress whatsoever in finding their parents. Impatiently, she flipped through a magazine while her brother sat at the kitchen counter using the computer, running yet another locator spell application. Max sat on the couch, looking through the spell books they'd brought up from the lair, attempting to make sense of the advanced texts. Since Justin had taken over, Max was determined to make himself useful, even if it meant staring at a page for an hour, or until he understood it.

Feeling useless, Harper had gone back down to her room, claiming she wanted to work on a dress. Reluctantly, Alex suspected it was also an excuse to avoid Justin, who had been acting odd whenever Harper was in the room. Alex was even more perplexed when her older brother actually let out a sigh of relief when her best friend left.

_What's going on _there_?_

Then again, she probably didn't want to know. And she couldn't worry about meddling until this emergency situation was over.

"Is it done _now_?" Alex finally asked Justin. Unsure how else to be productive, she'd been looking through a magazine as usual, trying to think of other resources they might be missing. But since she didn't have any more ideas yet, the wait for their latest attempt was driving her crazy.

Already frustrated, Justin glared at her. "Oh, yeah," he deadpanned. "I totally found Mom and Dad. I've just been waiting for that perfect moment to tell you."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Sarcasm is very annoying on you, Justin."

"Isn't it for everyone?"

"No, on me it's adorable," Alex retorted with a smile. She then put down her magazine and went over to look over her brother's shoulder at the computer. The page was blank except for a rotating hour glass. "That's _it_? We've been sitting here for an hour!"

Justin sighed. "I know. I think Judgment is interfering here. _Every_ application has been like this." He put his head in his hands. "And I'm not sure what else to try."

As she stared at the screen, Alex remembered another time they couldn't use the Wiz Web to locate someone. And their backup plan. "The Jack-in-the-Box!" she exclaimed.

"You broke it, remember?"

"Oh. Honestly, I just assumed you'd fixed it."

Shaking his head, Justin replied, "I haven't needed it. I always used the Wiz Web."

Curious, Max looked up from his book. "What are you guys talking about?" When they explained about using the magical Jack-in-the-Box to find Stevie's brother, Max frowned, upset they couldn't use it anymore. "Are you sure you can't fix it?" At his siblings' negative answers, he said, "Too bad we couldn't just toss it into the magical wash tub that fixed my wizard robe."

"Yeah, too bad..." Alex began, then her eyes widened and she glanced at her older brother, who was having the same thought.

Justin shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to try."

Minutes later, they'd carried the wash tub up to the loft, and gotten the broken Jack-in-the-Box from the lair. Max drop the two pieces, puppet and box, in the tub. They held their breath, anxiously waiting as the water bubbled. And when they pulled it back out...sure enough, the Jack-in-the-Box looked like new again, better than it did even before Alex broke it.

Max smirked triumphantly. "See? Some of my ideas are good ones."

For once, his siblings couldn't disagree.

"Okay, here it goes," Justin said. He began winding the Box, letting the music play for a good minute or two, before finally stopping. They gathered around, eagerly waiting for the clown puppet's results.

When the top popped up, "Jack" smiled up at them. "Thank you for fixing me!" he first said to Max...then glared at guilty Alex, clearly remembering what she had done to him.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Alex said. It took all of her willpower to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, as she apologized to a doll. "My bad."

The apology accepted, Jack happily announced, "Jerry and Theresa Russo are in one of several Wizard Council Locations."

Then he ducked back in his box, and the lid slammed closed. Alex and her brothers stared in disbelief. "Way to be specific," she remarked.

* * *

><p><em>Wizard Council Locations. Oh, guano.<em>

Justin tried not to let his nerves distract him from his search while he tore the lair apart, looking for a magical object he hadn't even thought about in a long time. His siblings had been mystified by the Box's results, and true, he'd also been a little confused. But for a much different reason.

_How could this happen?_

"Locations" were meeting areas in the Wizard World specifically created and reserved for the Council, which used them for ceremonies that required top security, like transferring of power, or inducting important members. They were protected by the top security magic out there, to provide a safe haven against the Council's many enemies, who always tried to strike at such ceremonies, when all the VIP members were gathered in one place.

What puzzled Justin was that these Locations were so secret, so secure, that even Judgment should not have been able to use one of them for its own convenience. Sure, the Council wasn't against this odd, mysterious being, but as far as Justin knew, they weren't allied with it either. In fact, Justin suspected the Council _feared_ unknown Judgment...and so, wouldn't allow it access to their precious Locations. So, either the Council had a rare change of heart, or...

Judgment was more powerful than the Wizard Council.

_Double guano._

But since that newfound understanding didn't really change his current problem, Justin put it aside for the moment and continued his search. When he was learning about the Council in one of his WizTech classes, he'd discussed the topic with his father, who'd been very involved in wizard politics before giving up his powers. After a class on the Locations, his father had revealed that he had a highly-coveted Key thanks to his association with Professor Crumbs and the Council. The Key enabled wizards to create a portal wherever they were, and transport to the Location where the current meeting was being held.

Fortunately, Jerry had told Justin where he'd hidden the Russo family Key.

Unfortunately, Justin didn't remember _exactly_ where that was.

"Where would Dad hide something..." Justin said to himself, just standing and looking around. He'd already checked in all of the books and most of the magical knickknacks. At least he knew it was in the lair, so he had to stumble across it eventually. Of course, his first thought was to use magic somehow, but chances were that his father had made sure such an important object couldn't be detected by amateur spells.

But Justin was willing to try that anyway if he didn't find this stupid key in the next five minutes.

Soon after he resumed his search, Justin was startled when Harper walked in. He'd been so wrapped up in looking for the key, that he nearly jumped when she appeared in his line of vision. "Hey Justin," she greeted. "What do you want for lunch? Max and Alex are making their sandwiches. They didn't care what you wanted, but I figured I'd ask since the cold cuts are still on the counter."

"Oh, uh, thanks Harper," Justin said, realizing he _was_ getting hungry again. "I'll be out in a second, just want to put some of these books back on the shelf."

Harper shrugged. "I'll make you a sandwich if you want. Not like I've got anything better to do."

"That's nice of you, but I need a break anyway," Justin assured her. At first he'd been annoyed at his siblings for quitting the search a half hour in. But they had the right idea. Finding the key was turning out to be a more lengthy task than they thought, so frequent breaks would keep them all from getting too frustrated.

"Yeah, um..." Harper began quickly, a nervous tone to her voice. "I have another question." At Justin's anxious, but curious, expression, she asked, "Are we okay? You've been a little weird ever since...well, Friday, I think. Are you mad at me? Did I do something to make you mad somehow..."

Embarrassed, Justin lowered his eyes, and his heart started racing. He felt _awful_ she thought that, but at the same time...well, what was he supposed to say? That he'd been wondering what it would be like to date her? "No! Not at all! I've...I...I guess it's just this whole mess," he lied. "All I can think about is this Judgment, so..."

"Oh, right! Duh! Look at me, being all self-centered," Harper said with a forced laugh. "Sorry! It's just that, we're friends now, and I wanted to make sure we were cool."

Justin nodded. "Yeah, we're, uh, very cool."

Then, suddenly, there was tension again. An uncomfortable silence that made them both look at the ceiling, floors, anywhere but each other's eyes. Determined to get past it, they made direct eye contact. Not sure what they were doing, they moved closer, slowly, and Justin found himself thinking this would be the perfect moment for their first, _real_ kiss...

Their trance was broken when they both realized what they were about to do, and snapped out of it. They shook their heads, gasping, in disbelief of what had been about to happen. "Zeke!" Harper sputtered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Right," Justin agreed as he waited for his heart to slow down. "Zeke."

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Harper was still in shock, replaying the scene in her head, wondering if her imagination had tricked her into thinking the discussion had been more than just that. <em>Had<em> Justin really been about to kiss her? She'd fantasized about it happening _so_ much over the years, that she didn't trust her perception of their interaction in the lair. Maybe all that tension had been in her head, and she was overreacting as usual...

But no. Even as they sat in the loft, with Zeke in the same room, she caught Justin looking at her, guilt on his face. Even Alex noticed, glancing between her brother and her best friend, clearly wondering what in the world was going on between them.

All this would have to wait until the Russos returned, though. _If_ they returned.

While it broke her heart, Harper watched as the siblings gathered around the dining area table, putting supplies into their backpacks, trying to think of what survival gear they might need. Justin warned them that Wizard Council "Locations" limited the amount of magic a wizard could use, so they would need backup potions and power enhancers. However, Harper noticed that Max was filling his backpack with mostly snacks and, oddly enough, clean underwear.

Reluctantly curious, Harper went over to the table. "Um, Max? I don't think you'll be gone _that_ long." She paused. "And frankly I'm shocked you change your underwear every day."

Max shrugged. "Mom was mad at me for not bringing underwear to Puerto Rico."

"_Okay_ then," Harper replied, then walked away. _That's what you get for knowing you shouldn't ask, but asking anyway_, she thought. She went back over to the living area, where Zeke and Mason were sitting down and chatting. They'd been informed of the Russos' impending journey, so they made sure to stop by before their friends left.

Since the boys were into their discussion, Harper sat next to her boyfriend on the couch. "Okay, dude, important question," Zeke was saying. "Werewolves versus robots. Who would win? I say robots."

"Excuse me?" Mason exclaimed, insulted. "You really think a tin can is superior to a half-man, half-beast? I could rip into a robot just as easily as a cute, delicious little deer in the forest."

Zeke shook his head. "You're forgetting one thing. _Robots_ have _lasers_."

"Guys, are you serious?" Harper finally interrupted. "Your friends..." She pointed at Mason. "_Your_ girlfriend. They're about to go charging in to a life-threatening situation, and you're just sitting here..."

"Uh, Harper?"

Embarrassed, Harper turned around at Justin's call. "Yes?"

"_We_," he said, indicating himself and his siblings, "still have some stuff to talk about. So it's actually better that you guys aren't standing around, staring at us."

At that, Zeke and Mason instantly resumed their conversation. Harper shook her head, then went over to where the Russos were talking about their trip. "Okay, I have to ask," she said. "What's the deal with these 'Wizard Council Locations'? Are they dangerous, or are you just going to check each one and be home by dinner?"

"It's...it's complicated," Justin explained. "First, we'll have to hope that Council security doesn't pick up that we're not supposed to be there. Then, well...see, Council members only use each Location a few times each year, if that. So when a Location is empty for a long time...other..._things_...tend to use it as a hideout or a lair, since the security only picks up _wizard_ magic. Actually, I was just explaining that to Alex and Max."

Alex nodded. "Yup. But I'm not worried. Vampires, dark angels...whatever that thing was that we found under Max's bed...we've seen it all."

"Yeah, that thing under Max's bed _was_ pretty scary," Justin agreed. "But yeah, I'd say we've handled more than the average wizards-in-training. If anyone can do this, it's us."

His head tilted in thought, Max asked, "What _did_ happen to Slimy?"

"You _named_ it?" Alex asked, amused.

"Well, he _was_ under my bed for a while," Max replied. "It would've been rude if I didn't give him a name." He paused. "Or her, I guess."

The others shook their heads and resumed packing. Justin took out what looked like a hotel room key, except it was made out of smooth, polished wood, and glowed with moving, purple light. "Okay, _this_ is a Location Key. I found it under Dad's recliner seat cushion in the lair."

"Ew," Alex and Harper chorused, knowing how often Jerry took naps there.

"Yeah, I know," Justin said with a grimace. "Anyway, this key will let us into one of the nine Locations. From there, we'll have to look for the hidden door to get to the next one. The key will change color when we find it. Thanks to Judgment, the Location with Mom and Dad will no doubt be the last one we check."

As she looked at her friends' worried expressions, Harper was reminded of how _serious_ this was; how they might not be returning. Despite their claims that they'd be fine, the Russo siblings were thinking about their parents, _and_ their own questionable fate. Harper wished she could go with to help them somehow. But realistically, she knew that as a mortal, she'd only get in the way. Briefly the siblings had considered asking Mason to go with them, since he had werewolf abilities, but Justin had argued against that idea. Judgment had targeted _them_, and Mason would definitely put himself in harm's way if he went along.

"It doesn't seem right," Harper remarked. "Why does the Council let this _thing_ push wizards around? I know you said it's this ancient force is _supposedly_ good, but...kidnapping, putting people in danger for no reason at all... Doesn't sound so 'good' to me."

The siblings traded glances, knowing she had a point, but not sure what to say. Justin shrugged. "Not much we can do about it, Harper."

About a later, the Russos were finally ready to leave. They'd changed into more appropriate clothes - sweatshirts, jeans and boots that would hopefully endure whatever they were thrown into. Their backpacks on, they at least _looked_ like they were prepared for their search. While Justin and Max said good-bye to her and Zeke, Alex and Mason went off to the side, silently hugging each other.

Harper made herself remember to breath when she faced Justin, who was also uncomfortable. "So, uh...good luck," she began. She wasn't sure if she should acknowledge their possible feelings for each other, or leave it ignored, and hope somehow they'd be back to normal when he returned.

Apparently, Justin went for the first option. "Look, um, I'm really sorry about...earlier. It won't be a problem when I get back, I promise."

While she wanted to believe him, she _really_ did, Harper just couldn't when he didn't sound so confident he could make that happen. "Don't even think of it," Harper assured him. "You'll have more important problems, I'm sure."

Soon enough, the three wizards stood together, while their friends nervously looked on. Justin took out the Key, held it in the air, then dramatically slashed it down. Much to Harper and Zeke's amazement, a frameless doorway appeared, just big enough for the siblings to step though, the other side nothing but swirling purple light that matched the Key's design. With one last glance back at their friends, the siblings stepped through, and the doorway instantly closed behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

Again, thank you for the reviews, everyone!

Mell: I always love your reviews, but that was...wow, you've outdone yourself. ;) Thank you so much! To be honest, _I'm_ not even sure where I'm going with this. Okay, yes, I have a vague idea of the major plot points andwhat I want the conclusion to include, but that's about it. That's pretty much how I write all my stories though, leaves room for those pesky spur-of-the-moment twists I always think of! Thanks again!

Moni-neechan: Just wanted to finally thank you specifically for your great reviews. I always look forward to reading what you thought of the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

When Alex stepped through the portal into the unknown, she'd had plenty of guesses where she might be ending up, based on her older brother's warnings. She'd mostly been expecting a dangerous wasteland filled with all kinds of nasty creatures. Why the Council would meet in a place like that, she didn't know, but she couldn't imagine their first stop would be pleasant.

Her expectations had been _way_ off.

"Wow," she remarked, looking around in amazement. "This is...nice."

_This_ was a fairytale English garden, complete with fluttering butterflies and a long table set for afternoon tea. Manicured grounds and paved walkways were all she could see. There was a serene atmosphere, helped by a large water fountain, and a bridge over a lake in the distance. On the table close by, not only was it set for at least a dozen people, but there were all kinds of tempting finger sandwiches and pastries on fancy serving plates.

Max rolled his eyes. "Aw, man. We're having tea? _Boring_. I thought we were gonna get to fight monsters and stuff."

Ignoring them, Justin held up the Key. "I'll start looking for the portal. I doubt it, but see if Mom and Dad are here anyway."

"Oh, right," Alex said mockingly as she went over to the table. "Like they're just going to be hiding under this table cloth." She began to lift up the pastel-colored piece of linen. "Mom, Dad..."

Less than two seconds later, Justin had pushed her away from the table, panic on his face. "Don't! Don't touch anything!"

"Why? Is this like _Aladdin_?" Max asked hopefully. At his siblings' bewildered glances, he explained, "Remember the cave? There was so much gold and other cool stuff, but when Abu took the gem, it all started to melt." He glanced around the garden again, clearly imagining everything in sight melting together. "Now _that_ would be _awesome_."

Her natural instinct was to dismiss her little brother's ramblings, but the Wizard World could be _very_ unpredictable. "Yeah...is it?" she asked.

Justin sighed. "No. But interacting with the scene might alert Council protection spells, or anything else lurking in here, of our presence. It's just better to keep a low profile."

"Okay then," Alex said. "Now, Mom and Dad can be _anywhere_ in here, right?"

"Well, like you pointed out before, there really aren't many places to hide. But it couldn't hurt to look around anyway," Justin replied. He then began walking around the nearby area, waving the card like it was a metal detector that might beep at any time.

Alex rolled her eyes at the display, then turn to Max...who'd already wandered off on his own, checking out a natural seating area only a few feet away. Left alone, Alex decided to explore further than the immediate area, just because she could. The whole place felt like a painting – colorful, perfect, calm, as if it were lifted right out of the cartoon scene from _Mary Poppins_. In that sense, she thought it was cool she could actually go into the background for once. Odd thoughts maybe, but she _was_ an artist.

As she walked alongside the trimmed shrubs and flowering bushes, Alex marveled at how _peaceful_ she felt, how _relaxed_. The fresh air helped, too, and the silence. She couldn't stop thinking about how _different_ this was from home, where she had constant city noise, plus the constant need to be _doing_ something, going somewhere. Okay, maybe "lazy" Alex resisted that pressure a little better than most, but she still felt it at school, at the Sub Station, watching people rush for whatever important reason.

She stopped when she reached the first point of interest, a white, wrought-iron gazebo with a blue, tiled roof and wooden platform floor. Inside were a pair of matching, cushioned benches, complete with decorative pillows. The sight made her yawn.

_Well, duh, of course I'm going to take a nap. This garden is worse than a lullaby._

Why not? She didn't have much to do anyway. And Justin would too busy with the Key to notice if she took a ten, or twenty-minute nap. Maybe even a half-hour, since she _did_ wake up very early for a day when she didn't have school.

Too tired to worry more about getting caught, Alex made herself comfortable on one of the benches, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ay dios mio!<em>" Theresa shrieked, as she almost fell _again_ on her way down the fort steps. They'd been spending the last hour, at least, descending the stairs one by one. Since they found that they easily lost balance when walking, thanks to the inviso-chain spell, they'd resorted to sliding on their backsides, fighting gravity the entire time. "How much more, Jerry?" she demanded. She'd made him go first, so he could warn her in case there were any uneven steps or spiderwebs.

Also nervous about falling, Jerry kept one arm on the wall of the narrow, rounded staircase while he glanced ahead. "One more flight, thank goodness. Only a few steps."

"'Thank goodness' is right," Theresa said, and they started moving again. "When I'm free, I'm running up and down these stairs. Two at a time."

Jerry laughed. "Yup, that'll show 'em."

Carefully, she made it down about five more steps, then stopped to catch her breath. "Now, you're _sure_ this is going to work, right?"

"It should," Jerry assured her, sounding confident. "Water naturally weakens magic. If we stay in the ocean long enough, it should undo this inviso-chain spell."

About an hour later, they'd _finally_ made it all the way over to the ocean. Theresa stared for a long moment, wishing she trusted that her husband, but she still had to wonder if this would really work. What if it didn't, then they were stuck, and they never saw their kids again...

Well, she had to at least try. Hoping the water wasn't too cold, she ran into it, standing in the water so it reached up to her shoulders. _Not bad_, she thought. The ocean was tropical, warm and so clear she could see straight through to the bottom. In fact, the water was so great, she didn't even mind that her clothes were now soaked through to her skin.

And more importantly, as she moved her arms, she could feel the chains _loosening_.

"It's working!" she shouted happily to her husband, who'd made it to where she was standing. "Jerry, I could kiss you! You're a genius!" Then she _did_ kiss him, careful not to lose her balance since the chains hadn't disappeared completely yet.

"Yeah, well," he said once they broke apart. "Nice to see you _appreciate_ my magical knowledge. Maybe this life-threatening situation will be good for our relationship."

"Very funny," Theresa remarked. She pushed against her chains again, and instead of tightening like before...there was nothing. "Oh my gosh, I think they're gone." Tentatively she moved her arms around, until she could raise them above the water and bring them down again.

Likewise, Jerry could move freely, so they embraced again before walking back to shore. Exhausted, they lied down on the grass next to each other, catching their breaths and enjoying their newfound freedom. But Theresa couldn't ignore the challenges they still had to face. "What now?" she had to ask.

Jerry groaned. "Let's not think about it yet." He then closed his eyes, resting.

When she felt a twinge of pain in her ankle yet again, which had been injured on her way down the stairs, Theresa decided he had the right idea. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

><p><em>So boring<em>, Max thought again, sticking by his first impression of the garden. Other than some gross bugs he'd spotted, nothing really interested him, so he sat at the table to wait until his siblings were ready to leave. Justin was somewhere else scanning for the portal, so Max didn't have to worry about getting caught. Though he doubted just _sitting at a table_ would do any harm.

When ten minutes that felt like an hour passed by, Max found himself staring at the delicious-looking pastries on the table. Sure, he had snacks in his backpack, but the dessert was _there_ and shouldn't go to waste. Justin had probably been paranoid anyway. After all, they'd all been there for a while and there was no sign of Council security.

He took a slice of cake, dumped it on the empty plate in front of him, and happily started eating. _Mmm, this is pretty good_, he thought. Getting thirsty, he saw a pitcher of cold lemonade, so he poured himself a glass of that as well. His plate clean, he leaned back in the chair and sipped the drink, wondering how long he would have to wait before his siblings returned.

Another few minutes later, one of the plates on the table, loaded with finger sandwiches started to move. Max raised an eyebrow when it lifted off the table and floated over to him, as if held up by an invisible server. Curious, Max glanced at the sandwiches, but then shook his head. "No thanks, I don't like tomato." Then a second plate floated over to him, this one filled with cucumber sandwiches. Though tempting, he was full from that piece of cake. "No, really. I'm good."

And suddenly...his new friend, wasn't so friendly anymore.

The plate of sandwiches flew at him, making Max slide off his chair and duck down. "Okay, okay!" he shouted as other platters and silverware became animated. "I guess I could go for half a sandwich..."

But the table settings didn't hear him apparently, since they began hurling themselves in his direction. Max dodged the more dangerous items like knives and forks, but several plates crashed against his legs, and he was covered in food. Hiding behind a tree, he took out his wand, and jumped in front of the attacking cutlery, his wand held at the ready. "_Stop_!"

There was a bright flash of magic, then the onslaught halted immediately, dropping to the ground as it did so. "Hah," he said triumphantly. "Take that!" Realizing he was still covered in food, he licked some frosting from a cupcake off his hand before casting a spell to make it all disappear.

He heard footsteps approaching, and glanced up as Justin ran into the area, horror on his face. "What _happened_?" he sputtered. "Max, _what did you do_?"

"Relax, I got it all under control," Max assured him.

"You got _what_ under control? Why were you using your wand? I _told_ you not to use magic!"

"No you didn't," Max replied calmly. "You _said_ to 'keep a low profile.' And I was, just sitting here drinking some lemonade. Then everything started attacking me for no reason. I had to use magic or the butter knives would've sliced through me like...well...butter."

Justin rolled his eyes. "It was probably a _trap_ so you'd set off Council security! Any minute now, this place is going to..." He paused when the sky instantly became dark and cloudy. "Yup, there it is."

Before Max could wonder what _exactly_ his brother meant by that, the sky opened up. Buckets of angry, fierce rain started to fall as a violent wind almost knocked them down. Thunder boomed, and they saw lightening in the distance. They ran for cover under a nearby Its roof was made of wood, so they were partially covered, but rain kept seeping through in between the planks. "What do we do now?" Max shouted over the noisy storm.

"I think I know where the portal is," Justin replied. "But we'll have to make a run for it. And find Alex. Where did she go?"

"I don't know, she just walked away..."

As if on cue, Alex ran in, furious. "What happened? Max, what did you do?"

"Is that fair? Why do you people automatically assume..." At his siblings' incredulous looks, he sighed. "Yeah, okay."

"We need to find the portal. Come on, follow me," Justin yelled. He started running through to the other side of the grassy field, his siblings right behind him.

Then somehow, Max felt like the ground had been slipped out from under him like a rug, and he fell forward, his hands connecting with the rough pavement. His siblings glanced back in annoyance. "It wasn't me!" he insisted. "The ground moved!"

"_Right_. Just like your shoes untie themselves..."

"And your bunk bed ladder trips you on purpose..."

Max glared at them. "I'm serious! Look!" He pointed down to the walkway they were standing on...

...which had started to move backwards like a treadmill, on maximum speed. Max fell forward again, this time along with his surprised brother and sister. Frantically they tried to stand up, but between the rain and the moving ground, that wasn't happening. "We have to use magic!" Alex yelled.

"But how...oh, wait, I know!" Justin exclaimed. "That water-travel spell you used in the competition! We'll all cast it together so it can carry all three of us to the portal! It might not work, but we can try!"

"What are you guys talking about?"

They explained the spell to Max, then since they didn't have time to make mistakes, the siblings did their best to combine their magic and channel the water around them. Before long, the water was lifting them in the air, carrying them forward instead of pushing them down. As soon as they reached the end of the path, they loosened their grasp of the spell and tumbled into a clearing, this one smaller than the tea party area. Hoping that no other obstacles were thrown at them, Max and Alex warily eyed their surroundings while Justin quickly found the portal. The second their key flashed a bright, golden light, he didn't hesitate to slash open another portal exactly like the first, and the three siblings didn't hesitate to run through it.

* * *

><p>That night after her friends left, Harper realized that the empty loft and her troubled mind would surely drive her crazy. Of course, her main concern was for the Russo family, both teens and parents. She kept worrying about what they all might be going through, and what shape they would be in <em>when<em> they returned. But she also couldn't stop thinking about her complicated love life.

What was she supposed to do? Her relationship with Zeke definitely needed help. She often questioned their feelings for each other, not just his. She found that she didn't miss him too much when he wasn't around. When he canceled dates, as he often did lately, she didn't care enough to be angry at him. That argument over the phone had only happened because she hadn't seem him in a couple of _weeks_. College had been taking over his life for a while, and unfortunately, she'd gotten used to it.

Still...that didn't give her the right to break up with him, then go out with his best friend. Right?

And she wasn't even sure she would get together with Justin if she _did_ break up with Zeke. She and Justin had such a complicated history. While she no longer freaked out whenever Justin entered the room, she still loved him...as a friend, but that would probably change in a heartbeat if she actually had a chance with him. The problem, of course, would be Justin accepting his feelings for her. Already she could tell he was _very_ uncomfortable with whatever thoughts he'd had about her so far.

Despite everything, she had to smile at the idea that her longtime crush was finally be thinking about her _that way_.

However, her smile disappeared when Zeke walked into the Sub Station, where she was keeping herself busy by cleaning up (her cleanliness standards were a little higher than Jerry and Theresa's). She felt guilty for what was going on with her and Justin, and she was still mad at Zeke for neglecting her.

"Hello, Zeke," she said coldly.

"Hey, Harper," Zeke said. Instead of hugging her in greeting, as they'd started doing, he stayed a few feet away, knowing she was angry. "Just stopped by to check on you. Since you're here all alone now."

Harper continued to clean so she wouldn't have to stand there looking at him while they talked. "I guess I should be flattered, then," she snapped. "Thank you for fitting me into your schedule."

"Okay, I deserved that," Zeke said. "Look, Harper, I'm really sorry. I talked to Justin, and he made me realize it was wrong to put off our dates. Again, I'm so sorry. Hug?"

When he held out his arms, Harper stood there, staring at him, equally horrified and furious...and a little surprised. On one hand, Justin clearly had a crush on her, so for him to man up and give Zeke great advice anyway...amazing, and so sweet. But she felt awful that Justin had to sit through what must have been the most awkward conversation ever.

On the other hand...there was Zeke. "You _what_?" she screeched, which made startled Zeke wince, and lower his arms. "You weren't able to figure out what could _possibly _be wrong with our relationship, and you had to ask _Justin_ for advice?"

"Well, he's been in lots of relationships, and none of his girlfriends dumped him, so I figure he's an expert," Zeke said defensively. "And I didn't know what to do! Lots of people ask for relationship advice! Why are you so mad?"

Harper rolled her eyes. How could he be so _clueless_? "Zeke, we had a fight _about_ your busy schedule. Shouldn't that have been a hint?"

"Oh, I knew that! But I had no idea how to fix it! There's so many _important_ clubs and activities, plus all the homework piling up..."

Holding up her hand to interrupt him, Harper shook her head. "What I'm hearing is that all of what you just mentioned is more important than me. Zeke, do you even want to be in this relationship anymore?"

"Of course! How could you - "

But Harper only narrowed her eyes.

Understanding that she wanted the truth, Zeke sighed. "I don't know, honestly. I've never had a girlfriend before so I'm not sure what it's supposed to be like."

"Clearly," Harper remarked She then calmed herself down just a little, reminding herself that Zeke hadn't intended any of the emotional pain he'd caused her. "Honestly? I don't have much experience either. But I do know that this isn't right."

Upset, Zeke looked down to avoid eye contact. "So...does that mean we should break up?" Quietly, he added, "I don't want to. I do really like you, Harper Finkle."

"I really like you too, Zeke Beakerman." As soon as she said it, Harper knew she didn't mean it the same way he did.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews!

Mell: As usual, thanks for the great review! And yeah, when I had Alex take a nap, I was thinking of doing more with that, like making the gazebo come alive and try to eat her or something. But I switched to Max and that was that. *shrugs* I think there was enough action though, it's only the first Location. ;)

raksha: Thanks!

Moni: Again, thank you! Characterization/making a story feel like an episode has always been my main focus. Especially since that's difficult to find sometimes.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Too concerned about escaping the storm, Justin hadn't given any thought to what the next Location might be. After arriving in the idealistic English garden, he realized he really had no idea what they were in for, since like his siblings he'd expected the worst. So Justin had reluctantly accepted that the rest of their journey would be totally unpredictable, and he shouldn't bother to be surprised at whatever was thrown at them next.

Still, he couldn't help but gasp when, the moment he stepped through the portal, he and his siblings fell forward onto a flying magic carpet. Thankfully it wasn't raining anymore. In fact, the weather was as nice as when they'd first walked into the garden – nothing but sunshine, a few clouds, and a nice breeze. Justin couldn't relax yet, though. What would attack them this time?

Worried for his siblings, Justin sat up so he was on his knees, then looked behind him. "Alex?" he called, noticing they were still lying down. "Max? Are you okay?"

"The carpet broke my fall," Alex grumbled as she and Max also sat up.

Max shrugged. "It's better than pavement."

"True that," she agreed.

Relieved that they were all fine, Justin said, "Well, safe to say Mom and Dad aren't going to be here, so let's just try to find the portal." He took out the Key. "Again, I'll look out for it. Alex, you drive."

"Yes!" Alex cheered as she moved toward the front and began steering the carpet. "It's been, like, years since I've done this, by the way."

Justin and Max traded nervous glances. "Great," they chorused.

"Can I drive?" Max whispered so his sister didn't overhear. "I can, too. Dad taught me over the summer, remember?"

Though his first response was to protest, Justin hesitated. To be honest, he'd rather do the driving himself, since Alex was definitely a little rusty, based on the carpet's sharp turns and uneven speed. And Max couldn't be trusted to focus. Justin sighed. "If Alex doesn't improve, you can take over."

"Sweet," Max replied with a shrug. Then he became distracted by clouds and birds passing by.

Until another obstacle came along, Justin figured he was stuck on portal scanning duty. He sat in the middle of the carpet, Key held out. The moving rug meant that he could easily miss the portal if it was too high, too low, or not directly in their path. But there was no way he could scan every inch of sky they passed, so he decided to just hope the Key would start glowing when they were close.

"This is so fun," Alex declared, making a _sharp_ right turn. "I should start flying more, when Mason's not around. He's afraid of heights, you know. He claims it's a werewolf thing, that they're naturally more comfortable on the ground, but I don't buy it because..."

"Alex, _look out_, will you?" Justin shouted, pointing straight ahead, and Alex quickly turned to avoid going into a cloud.

Alex glared at him. "Oh, calm _down_! I mean, you can relax a little now that we've escaped the Garden of Death."

"No, I can't," Justin insisted. "What happened before means that it might happen again here. I hope flying this in a thunderstorm sounds fun to you."

"Well, we just won't use any magic. We'll be fine," Alex insisted. She paused, then frowned. "I _may_ have jinxed it."

But an hour later, they were still cruising in sunny skies. Alex had tired of driving, so reluctantly they let Max try for a while. Of course, Justin wanted to hand Alex the Key and take over himself, but Max reminded Justin of what he said earlier. So, Justin and Alex sat close behind him and watched their little brother like hawks.

"_Watch out for that bird!_"

"_Max! Look out..._oh, that's a Galapagos petrel! Those are incredibly rare..."

"_Justin!_"

"Oh right... _Max! Cloud!_"

To avoid the cloud, Max pulled the carpet upwards, causing his siblings to fall back. Justin was so thrown off that he lost grip on the Key, which started falling into the endless sky below. "_No!_" Justin shouted, a bellowing yell that made his siblings glance back at him. "The Key! We have to go after it!"

Though Max turned back for it, fluffy, white clouds started to move in, obstructing their view of the Key. The _quickly falling_ Key. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this!" Justin shouted, holding out his hand, willing the Key to float back to him. The hand magic took effect, instantly catching the Key before it fell further, and slowly pulling it back in. His hand outstretched, Justin grabbed it the second he could. "I got it!" he cried triumphantly, then lied back down on the carpet.

When Max got the carpet level again, Alex gave Justin a concerned look. "Do you think that was enough to trip Council security?"

"Yeah, I'd say so."

At Max's remark, his siblings sat up and stared at what had caused the surprised amusement in his voice. _Flying pigs -_ miniature, pink animals with white, feather wings sticking out of their backs. While they might have been adorable otherwise, their angry snarling and odd, pointed teeth seriously decreased their cute factor.

Justin and Alex stared at the oncoming attack in disbelief.

"_Really?_"

* * *

><p>For a change of scenery, Harper decided to do some of her homework in the closed Sub Station. Though she was an excellent student, even <em>she<em> hadn't planned to do homework so early in the vacation, but she figured she might as well start. And the work would keep her distracted from...everything.

But since a history essay couldn't seem to keep her interest, she was relieved when a second distraction knocked on the Sub Station door. Surprised, but too eager for company to wonder who it could possibly be, she ran over to look.

"Mason?" she said, as she hesitantly let the temperamental werewolf in. "What are you doing here? Alex isn't going to be back for a while."

Entering the restaurant, Mason sighed, obviously upset. "I know. I'm sorry for the intrusion, Harper. It's just...I'm going absolutely insane with worry!" He began to pace while she watched, knowing she would tell Alex about this adorable moment when her best friend returned. "I wish they'd let me go with them! I could have helped!"

"From what I heard, I think they _did_ want you to go. At one point I definitely heard Alex fighting for you," Harper assured him. "But it's this whole crazy situation. Alex, Justin and Max have to face whatever this thing is alone."

Mason nodded. "You're right, of course. I just wish I could help them _somehow_. If only I had some contacts in the Wizard World."

"Well, I'm a mortal, so I'm even more useless than you are right now," Harper reminded him.

"You know, I didn't realize that at first," Mason confessed. "You'd already been living here when I met Alex. I assumed you were a Russo."

Flattered, Harper smiled. "It's a common mistake these days." She paused. "Well, not really a mistake. I consider myself a Russo too."

"So you must be a nervous wreck too," Mason guessed. When she nodded, he sighed again. "I think...I'm sure they'll be okay. Alex had told me lots of stories. They're definitely prepared for this. Whatever 'this' is, I mean."

Harper nodded. She'd also been telling herself that to make herself stop worrying. Whatever her friends had to face, they'd already faced worse. After all, she would hope that there wasn't a more evil enemy out there than an angel of darkness. "Right. They're tough."

"Right," Mason agreed. Still anxious, he continued pacing. He paused when he got an idea. "Hey, I'm going to go check out the lair. Maybe there's some information in there that will..."

"I don't know about that. I mean, the Russos aren't here, and they tend to keep the lair private," Harper quickly interrupted. While Mason had been a part of her life for about a year, and he was likeable enough, she didn't trust him one bit. Of course, she believed he genuinely wanted to help his girlfriend, but...she didn't feel comfortable letting him into the lair alone. Excuse her for not easily forgetting that he'd _eaten_ someone.

Mason got her meaning loud and clear. He frowned. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"Not really, no."

"I suppose I understand," Mason said, again surprising her. "I broke your best friend's heart once."

Harper rolled her eyes. "And _ate_ her ex-boyfriend."

"Oh yeah, forgot about that," Mason replied apologetically.

Not wanting to get into any _more_ drama at the moment, Harper walked over to the Sub Station's front doors, hoping he'd get the hint. "I'm sorry, Mason, but I'm not really in the best mood to talk about this. Maybe we can work out our trust issues when Alex gets back."

"Of course," he agreed, also walking towards the exit. "I'll, uh, do some research, talk to some contacts. Would you like me to know if anything turns up?"

Even though she knew he'd asked purposely to win her over, Harper had to give him credit for wanting to include her in his plans to help the Russos, when she'd just dismissed him. She appreciated it, since maybe if he did form a plan, she'd be able to keep her mind off Zeke. "Sure," she answered as he began to leave. "That'd be great. Thanks."

* * *

><p>In one of WizTech's many secret meeting rooms, about a dozen Council members gathered to discuss the troubling recent events that had brought them all there. Professor Crumbs stood at the head of the large round table, similar in style to the one used by King Arthur's court, rumored to be that very historical item. Distinguished wizards stared back at him, waiting for the meeting to begin, hopeful that they would be able to settle a <em>very<em> delicate situation.

"Thank you for coming," the professor began, sensing that the group was restless. "I have asked you all here to address what we have been ignoring for too long. We have known Judgment would be striking for over half a year. And soon after, we knew who it was going to choose. Yet we have made no move to protect or otherwise assist the Russo siblings."

As he took his seat, the others grumbled in annoyance. "You've always favored those kids, Crumbs," a senior member of the Council, Zachary Sutton, accused. "But they're nothing but cocky troublemakers. Personally I hope Judgment knocks them down a peg."

"They _have_ done some good, remember?" said younger member Joshua Taylor. "They stopped the revolution, didn't they? And saved WizTech from the Longcapes."

Another member, William Thompson, head judge of Wizard Court, nodded in agreement. "As well as exposed Evilini's true intentions. In that sense, we do owe them a favor or two." He paused. "But they have also failed Crumbs' test."

"Luckily for us," Sutton remarked. At the others' confused glances, he sighed. "Oh, please. You know _exactly_ what I'm saying. These kids have shown more power and ability than any other wizards-in-training from their generation. From _most_ generations in the last several decades. If we don't watch our backs, they could easily shake things up in the Wizard World, and _none_ of us want that."

Several members nodded or voiced their agreement. "Yes," said Nicholas Walker, another senior Council member who rarely argued with whatever Sutton had to say. "The Russo siblings are a threat. That was why we threw the toughest test we could at them. Fortunately it ended the way we wanted, with the girl and older boy falling behind in the competition."

"Oh, yes," Crumbs spat, furious. The others raised eyebrows in surprise, as the professor almost never became angry. "Be proud of yourselves for targeting innocent children. But remember that you also hide like cowards from them. This was the reason you strong-armed me into taking credit for their exam, was it not? You throw hardships at them from the safety of your anonymity, fearing their retaliation, hoping the Russo siblings will give up their places in the wizard community." He shook his head. "I am disgusted."

While the others squirmed, Sutton rolled his eyes and clapped mockingly. "Impressive guilt trip, Crumbs," he retorted. "But you're no altruistic 'defender of the weak.' You've been yammering on about _change_ and _equality_ for years now. And you're well aware that these kids will make that happen. _If_ they are allowed to succeed."

Crumbs shrugged. "Of course." There was no sense in denying his ulterior motives when they were certainly not a secret. "However, I stand by my argument. They are not full wizards, and so they do not deserve this extreme passivity. I move we lift Council security in all nine Locations. Surely, Judgment will provide them with enough of a challenge." He flicked his hand. A piece of paper and fountain pen appeared before each of those seated. "We will now vote on the issue."

Minutes later, the votes had been counted, and Sutton grinned at upset Crumbs. "Nice try, old man," he said while everyone began to leave. "Time to face the truth now. The Russo siblings are pests. And you are alone in your refusal to see that."

"_I_ am not the blind one!" Crumbs insisted. He glared as Sutton merely chuckled on his way out.

Left alone, Crumbs let out a disappointed sigh, again looking at the discarded votes. All were against helping the siblings, except for his. Despite his political interests, he honestly did care a great deal for those kids. Of course while they each had their faults, they had good hearts, and even with their self-centered tendencies, there was an unusual desire to improve wizard society.

His ignorant contemporaries resented Judgment's power because of its ability to mold young wizards into leaders. But Crumbs knew if the Russos succeeded, there would be hope for a better future.

* * *

><p>"This is <em>ridiculous<em>!" Alex shrieked, halfway off the carpet as it tried to fly through the flock of pigs. One of the animals had knocked into the carpet, sending it spiraling so that her legs were dangerously fell off the side. Since her brothers were also fighting, she pulled herself up, wand somehow still in hand. When a pig tried to knock her off, she pointed her wand, firing a bolt of magic that propelled the snarling animal several yards away.

Finally she managed to climb back onto the carpet, only taking a second to catch her breath before she started "shooting" again. Her brothers were doing the same while Justin steered. The random bolts of magic were keeping them airborne, since they couldn't figure out how to totally make the pigs vanish, as none of the transport spells the knew worked. "We can't keep doing this," she insisted. "Either of you know a 'turn into bacon' spell?"

"I know a spell that _conjures_ bacon, do you think that would work?" Max asked.

A thoughtful look on his face, while he still continued to fight the attacking pigs, Justin remarked, "That might work, actually." At his siblings' surprise that he actually agreed with _them_, he explained, "Transformation spells, I mean. We can't make them disappear, but hopefully we can turn them into something less threatening." He paused. "Not bacon, though. I don't know why, but that's slightly disturbing to me."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Where do you think bacon normally comes from?" Justin gave her an exasperated glance. "Fine, we'll be PC about it." She looked over the edge of the carpet, and pointed at the turbulent, white sea they were flying over. "We can turn them into fish. That way they'll fall into the sea and can live out the rest of their lives as pig-fish mutants. Happy?"

"I know you're mocking me, but...yes, yes I am," Justin retorted. As a pig flew toward him, he pointed his wand. "This flying pig is now not, a coldwater fish should fill its slot." When Alex shook her head, he explained, "I had to be specific. A tropical fish wouldn't survive in that ocean."

His spell hit the pig closest to him. While the dozen or so other surprised pigs backed up in fear, the pig that had been hit began glowing with wizard magic, _slowly_ transforming into a goldfish. But when the spell was almost complete, there seemed to be some sort of odd boomerang effect, and the pig snapped back to its original, menacing self. "Huh," Justin said, disappointed.

Before they could try again, the pigs resumed their charge, and the siblings went back to firing off sparks of magic. "Any other ideas?" Alex yelled above the noise of flapping wings and pig snorts. "Do we have anything that can help us?"

"I'll check!" Max replied. His siblings deflected any attacks towards him while he rummaged through their backpacks, searching through the emergency spell boosters they'd brought. The boosters were small, polished wooden boxes that looked like there might be jewelry inside, except for the spell title was inscribed on each one. "Let's see...'Blinding Light'...'Instant Storm'... 'Swarm of Wasps'...oh, that one sounds cool!"

"Keep looking!" Alex and Justin ordered in unison.

Max paused, staring at a box in his hand. "'Go Through Mow Through Inclusivo.' I remember the Go Through Mow Through part, but what does..."

"It casts the spell on everyone and everything nearby, not just one person or object." Justin paused, his eyes widening. "That's it! Throw it at them _now_!"

Though a little confused, Max pitched it at the still-attacking pigs. There was a bright swirl of magic that traveled through the pack, around each one before fading away. Instantly, the pigs started flying _straight through_ their enemy, growing more frustrated each time they doubled back and tried again.

Hoping to lose them in the chaos, Alex began steering the carpet, picking up speed by nose-diving and then quickly pulling up. She kept going faster, swerving, going any which way possible to throw off the distracted animals even more. Though a couple of pigs pursued the carpet, Alex stayed well ahead of them, while Justin and Max kept up defense. Soon enough they were in the clear, coasting over the water, not a pig in sight.

Impressed, Justin glanced at his sister. "How did you _do_ that?"

"Instinct, I guess," Alex said with a shrug. "Out-flying them seemed like a good idea."

"Uh, guys?"

They turned to Max, who was pointing to Justin's backpack...which was glowing with a golden light. Justin rushed over and took the Key out, which they'd forgotten about in the battle. "The portal's nearby!" he exclaimed happily, the Key in hand. He frowned as Alex brought the carpet to a stop. "But where is it? Could be above us, next to us or..." He paused. "Oh! It's...hold on. Move over, Alex."

Curious, Alex moved over and watched as her brother took over steering, the Key still in one hand while he guided the carpet down towards the ocean. Stopping the carpet about a foot over the surface, Justin reached down with the Key and slashed open another portal..._in_ the water. But instead of seeing the ocean below, there was the familiar purple light. The siblings gathered together, looking over the edge, knowing they'd have to jump in.

But they put it off, slowly putting their backpacks on, not even talking about it. Finally, Alex asked, "Should we cast, like, a breathing underwater spell?"

"No need," Justin reminded her. "We learned that in class. Transportation magic ensures that wizards will be able to survive unusual conditions. We've gone to outer space before, remember?"

Alex sighed. She wasn't _scared_, exactly...okay, maybe a little. But she was more...anxious, nervous, since they'd only searched two Locations before, and had already had to think on their feet more than once. There were still seven more to go. "Well, let's get this over with."

Then she jumped into the portal.


End file.
